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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26495344">A Music Exam</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/canterofmysinnings/pseuds/canterofmysinnings'>canterofmysinnings</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Barlliams Songfic Challenge 2018-2020+ [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Take That (Band)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alcohol, Astrology, Canon bisexuality (Gary), First Kiss, Honestly this is kind of crack-ish as well, Light Swearing, Love Confession, M/M, Mild Angst, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Music Exam, Neurodivergence (Robbie), Non-Take That AU, Pills (it's unspecified what kind of pills), Romantic Fluff, Running Away, School, Slurred speech, Strangers to Friends to Lovers, classmates - Freeform, exam season, plot holes</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 12:07:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,152</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26495344</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/canterofmysinnings/pseuds/canterofmysinnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Gary and Robbie have been put together as a pair for an upcoming music exam. Robbie picks up clues about Gary's sexuality on accident. When they exchange zodiac signs one afternoon, Robbie takes an incompatibility too hard. The next morning of the exam day, he hides away in a dark corner of the school to sulk. Gary finds him. They confess their love to each other and they then go to the exam together.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Gary Barlow/Robbie Williams</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Barlliams Songfic Challenge 2018-2020+ [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1926196</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Music Exam</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is part 8 of my Transfer from Wattpad series, as well as my year-long Barlliams Songfic challenge.<br/>Originally published at: 03/06/2018<br/>Originally inspired by the song: Let Me Entertain You</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>June 1992.</p>
<p>A pair of two boys sat together at school outside, underneath a tree. They were studying music and music sheets. Their names were Gary Barlow (21 years old) and Robbie Williams (18 years old). <br/>All year, they'd taken music classes together and now they were facing an especially challenging time. <br/>They had to prove everything they'd learned the past year in an exam they had tomorrow. <br/>All year, Robbie and Gary hadn't spoken much. <br/>They both had considered each other as potential friends, but none of them dared to take the first step. At least before now. <br/>As none of the boys knew yet: their relationship was about to change for good.</p>
<p>The teacher had prompted Robbie and Gary to become a team for the exam as she reckoned they made a good duo. <br/>Neither Gary or Robbie had anything against this. In fact, they probably enjoyed it a little too much.</p>
<p>"Jeez, everything is bloody sailing in this heat!" Robbie complained jokingly as he played with a pen. <br/>Gary fanned himself with a sheet of paper as he tried to focus on music revision. <br/>"It's obvious, as you're sitting on a black bench in the baking sun!" Gary laughed as he shook his head at his jokester companion. <br/>"Hey!" Robbie laughed back. "How dare you... What was your name again?!" <br/>Suddenly serious, Robbie contained himself. <br/>Gary smiled a little at the black haired man on the other side of the table. <br/>"I'm Gary. Barlow." Gary said softly. <br/>Robbie nodded slowly. "Cool. My name is Robbie. Williams, really Robert, but people are lazy, ya know?"<br/>Gary chuckled. <br/>"How old are you, Robbie?" He asked whist finishing up another sheet of original piano chords which were to be used in the exam tomorrow. <br/>"Me? I'm 18." Robbie replied, momentarily confused. <br/>"Alright. I'm 21." Gary replied. <br/>Robbie stared into the distance and then I the pavement in what seemed in deep thought. Gary noticed that the sheet papers Robbie was supposed to fill out were totally blank still. Robbie hadn't worked at all since they went outside. As much as Gary enjoyed his and Robbie's lively banter and having someone to vent to about musical problems, he was getting increasingly frustrated by Robbie not putting effort into their project.</p>
<p>The bell rang, which means it was time for the break and then the two boys were to part ways for the last lesson of the school day. Gary should leave for French, and Robbie for P.E.<br/>Gary, being the responsible one, packed away their sheets. <br/>His face was serious as he have Robbie his sheets back. <br/>"Please do your work in the break, alright? Otherwise we'll have to stay overtime. And that never fun, is it?"<br/>Robbie frowned. "No, no. Of course not."<br/>"Thank you."</p>
<p>The two boys walked into the locker room of the school to return their music sheets into their respective lockers.</p>
<p>Robbie licked his lips as he watched Gary. <br/>As Gary opened his locker, Robbie took a peek inside. <br/>His heart beat faster as he spotted a... Bisexual pride badge? <br/>Then he spotted a picture of Gary with a girl as well and became disheartened. <br/><em>Oh, sod off, </em>Robbie thought. <em>Why did Gary keep this picture in his locker? All this time he'd thought that Gary also was... Was-</em></p>
<p>"So... Won't you return your things?" Gary smirked at Robbie and pointed at the papers, which Right was desperately clutching in his hands to the point of it becoming curly and messy. <br/>"Which things?" Robbie laughed, then looked down of himself. <br/>"Weird." Robbie mumbled. Then it all came back to him. <br/>"Yeah, about that...! I'll revise in the break, I swear." Robbie stepped back awkwardly. <br/>"That's good." Gary nodded approvingly.</p>
<p>Robbie walled towards the door outside in the hallway again; then stopped half way there. <br/>"Um, Gary. I meant to ask you... What's your sign?"</p>
<p>Gary looked at Robbie, bewildered. "Sign, what do you mean sign?"</p>
<p>Robbie swore at himself inside his head for screwing up. <br/>"Like, zodiac sign." Robbie asked.</p>
<p>"Ahah." Gary thought for a while. "Alright. Mine must be Capricorn. What's yours though?"</p>
<p>Robbie trembled lightly. "Mine's Aquarius."<br/>"I like that."Gary replied. <br/>Before Gary could say more, Robbie had left the room and was no where to be seen in the hallway. <br/>Gary thought nothing more to what just happened and continued his day as normal. </p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>Next day - exam day </strong>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>The next day, Gary arrived early. He knew much, much better than to arrive late to an exam.<br/>He looked around in the room that had been assigned for music students to wait for their exam in. <br/>Robbie was still nowhere to be seen. <br/>20 minutes passed with no signs of life from Robbie.</p>
<p>Gary was growing worried about Robbie, so he approached a teacher that kept track of how people left or arrived. <br/>"Mrs. Gwenson?" He asked. <br/>"Yes Gary, what can I do for you?" She replied kindly. <br/>"Have you seen Robbie from this team anywhere?" <br/>Mrs. Gwenson furrowed her eyebrows. "I'm afraid I have no clue, Gary. But you two seem to be pretty close now, do you have any idea about where he might be?" <br/>Gary laughed nervously. "I bet he's locked up somewhere."<br/>Mrs. Gwenson looked at Gary with an apologetic glance. "I can't leave this place. But go speak to the janitor, maybe he's seen something."<br/>"I will. Thank you."<br/>Gary rushed away.</p>
<p>After searching multiple floors, they finally found Robbie.<br/>The janitor unlocked the door and Gary looked inside. <br/>Gary saw bottles and a box of... Something besides what looked like a very sad and panicked Robbie in a disgusting and dusty room. <br/>Gary noticed that all around him was sheets of piano music which were filled out. Sloppily filled out - but they were done.</p>
<p>Gary quickly gestured the janitor to leave, then turned to Robbie. <br/>Robbie looked wasted - sitting in a very painful position which didn't seem to bother him much considering his current condition. <br/>Gary gasped loudly. He wiped aside the papers and sat down on the floor next to Robbie. He was probably going to have noticeable dust marks from this - bit he didn't even think about it as all his attention was on Robbie. <br/>Robbie looked agitated and he reeked like alcohol. <br/>Gary grabbed Robbie's wrist to get his attention and take his pulse. Robbie groaned in protest.</p>
<p>"Wlet gwo of me." He slurred angrily. <br/>Gary pressed harder on his wrist as Robbie's pulse was difficult to catch. <br/>When he finally did get it, Gary was baffled. Robbie's pulse was uneven, almost dancing. <br/>"You better be glad our exam is in two hours!" Gary hissed. "You need a hospital."<br/>Robbie blinked rapidly. <br/>Gary tried to make out how intoxicated Robbie was from the visible bottles. <br/>"Are you drunk?" Gary asked. <br/>Robbie laughed a roaring laugh. "Y-yes, I am drrrunk! Haha!" <br/>Gary sighed in annoyance. <br/>"Did you take- did you take any of the pills?" Gary interrogated his wasted friend. It felt surreal to see his Robbie acting out this way. <br/>"N-Nwo, bwut I waz-z gonin- I was going two if you hadn't found me."<br/>Gary felt the anger and concern rise to his head. <br/>"Dann it, Robbie!" He shook his head in disbelief. <br/>"Why did you do this?" Gary asked, packing Robbie's things into his backpack. <br/>Robbie hesitated.</p>
<p>"Bwec-cause I-I read-d that, that Capwicorn and- and Aquawivus won't like each owher, G-Gawy, and I - I became s-so sad I... Did, did not know what two do alright..." <br/>Robbie's speech became slightly clearer as he broke down sobbing. <br/>Gary breathed in heavily as he tried to process what Robbie just said. He changed position into more behind Robbie's back, do that he could support his shoulders she back and try to comfort him and prevent him from becoming even dirtier from the dusty floor.</p>
<p>"Wait... Why does it even matter to you what Aquarius and Capricorn think of each other? I thought you knew that astrology is horseshit!"<br/>He rubbed Robbie's back in hopes it would sober him up. <br/>It did work... But not the way he had expected. <br/>Robbie opened his mouth and started to speak, but the words were words he never once had expected Robbie of all people, to say. <br/>"Because I like you, that's why." Robbie said faintly. <br/>It felt like he'd never been drunk in the first place as his words were clear as day. Robbie had kept them inside so long and rehearsed them dozens of times that they just slipped out in the most sincere way... Just like in the movies.</p>
<p>Gary was taken aback. <br/>"But-but... Why do you like me?" He moved closer to Robbie. <br/>Robbie smiled. "Because you're pretty and sweet. And you have the best music taste."<br/>Gary blushed heavily.<br/>"Awww, Robbie."</p>
<p>Robbie inched closer to Gary's face. <br/>Gary wondered for a while, trying to make sense of everything that just happened.</p>
<p>"I just want to ask you one question." Gary whispered as almost all personal distance was eliminated between the pair; <br/>"How did you know that I'm bisexual?"</p>
<p>Robbie chuckled sweetly as he stroke the cheek of the smaller man. <br/>"I saw your locker. It had a bisexual pride badge in it. I figured that I might have a chance with you. I saw the girl your locker. I became insecure. I researched astrology on one of the library computers. It said that Aquarius and Capricorn aren't very compatible. I panicked and- yeah."</p>
<p>Gary admired the man before him. <br/>It was a sincere man, a man who was in love. <br/>He felt very flattered.</p>
<p>"But Robbie, astrology isn't always the answer!" Gary exclaimed. "People with opposing signs get together all the time! It's only guidelines, not the ultimate truth."<br/>Gary reached out and caressed Robbie's shoulder. <br/>Robbie chuckled a bit. <br/>"Oh Gary... I simply don't know-" Robbie blushed, just as Gary was blushing in awe of the situation. <br/>"Maybe it's okay if we don't know everything." Gary breathed. <br/>The two boys looked at each other with great intensity as their bodies were dragged against each other like two magnets. <br/>They didn't think much in that very moment, they just did what felt right.</p>
<p>And what felt right was to kiss.</p>
<p>They kissed each other gently at first. <br/>Neither of them knew exactly what they were doing, but that only added to the excitement of it all. <br/>The kiss gradually turned more frantic and passionate as the two boys became comfortable with the feeling.</p>
<p>They made out in a while, explored each other and how the other part felt.</p>
<p>After a while, Robbie broke it off as he remembered something.</p>
<p>Robbie scratched his head. <br/>"Didn't we have like... An exam today?" Robbie laughed, high off Gary's love yet in all other senses totally clear and sober. <br/>What he'd repressed didn't fog his mind anymore, which for some reason cancelled the alcohol from having an effect.</p>
<p>"We do." Gary looked at his wrist watch, "Speaking of which, we better start rehearsing now."<br/>Robbie grinned in delight. "I'm not even nervous when I'm with you. Let's go, shall we?"</p>
<p>The two boys left the downstairs area and stepped into the rehearsal room. After 15 minutes of rehearsal and laughter, their music teacher called them inside the examination room.</p>
<p>"Robbie Williams and Gary Barlow, please show us what you've written as a duo for today." The teacher greeted them. <br/>Gary Barlow assumed his position at the piano, and Robbie took a microphone. "I weiter the lyrics, Gary wrote the melody. We call this song: 'Let Me Entertain You.'", He spoke cheekily into the microphone, winning over the audience with boyish charisma. Leaning leaning against the piano, he counted two four.</p>
<p>"One, two, three, four, GO!" He shouted as he started singing. </p>
<hr/>
<p>
  <strong>A little while later </strong>
</p>
<hr/>
<p>The two teachers were in awe of Robbie and Gary's performance. <br/>They clapped and cheered as Robbie and Gary stepped down from the scene, hand in hand.</p>
<p>"I'm so in love with this song." The first teacher claimed. "It's really original and fresh - I've heard nothing like that in my life. And take that from a music teacher, please! I'm impressed. You really have done an amazing job, boys."</p>
<p>The second teacher smiled happily as she complimented the song as well. "This is a display of extraordinary talent. The once in a lifetime kind of thing. You really have potential, I must say."</p>
<p>The first teacher smiled proudly and looked to her notes on the table.<br/>"Let's not forget the grades though." She cleared her throat;</p>
<p>"Finding a grade for both of you really wasn't rocket science." <br/>She sniffed emotionally as she looked at her two star students,</p>
<p>"You both get the same grade, A+. We are at a loss for words for what talent we just experienced. We loved it. You two really speak the language of true music. Thank you so much. "</p>
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